SAN ANTONIO -- Every year millions of college students around the country don't know how they're going to afford their next meal. According to the Government Accountability Office, studies suggest that nearly 30 percent of college students are food insecure, with first-generation students making up the vast majority.​

  • Roadrunner Pantry open for 3 years
  • Has so far fed tens of thousands of students
  • Expanding and adding amenities 

The food pantry on the campus of University of Texas at San Antonio has been open for less than three years, but it has so far helped to feed tens of thousands of students. On the front door of the Roadrunner Pantry, you'll run into welcoming messages like, "The pantry makes me feel at ease when I can't get groceries." 

"Food insecurity is a very real thing," said sophomore Gage Martin, who uses the Roadrunner Pantry at times. "I was kind of in between paychecks, and I didn’t want to eat on campus so me and a couple of friends checked it out. I didn’t realize how many resources and different things were available."

The pantry is open and available to all students with a valid student ID. Shelves of cereals, canned goods, and other needed college supplies are kept stocked via donations from students. Other essentials such as notebooks and clothes are readily available as well. ​

This week student volunteers are filling shopping bags for Thanksgiving week to help others through the holiday. It's part of the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week program that's shedding light on a hunger crisis growing on college campuses.

"Although it’s exciting we can serve that many students, it's definitely concerning that we have so many students that we need to serve," said Nikki Lee, a spokeswoman for the Roadrunner Pantry.

​As the program continues to see more and more students, expansion efforts are already underway. On the main campus, a refrigerator will be added for cold items such as milk and eggs. The downtown UTSA campus will also be welcomed with a Roadrunner Pantry starting next spring.

For more info on the initiative or ways you can help donate to the program, you can visit their website here.